Getting your newborn baby to drink breast milk might not be as easy as you might think.
After birth, newborns may struggle to latch on breasts and breastfeed. When this happens, it can be frightening for new mothers.
This week is World Breastfeeding Week according to World Health Organisation. This week is to celebrate the importance of breastfeeding, but some babies might reject breast milk.
Some of the most common reasons newborns struggle to latch onto the breast include:
- A difficult labour or delivery: Your baby may feel tired and sore or have a headache if the delivery period was long and tedious.
- During labour, medications such as anaesthesia, epidurals, and pethidine might cause your baby to become sleepy or sluggish and refuse breast milk.
- Being away from your baby after birth, even for a few minutes, this is why mothers are advised to immediately breastfeed the baby after childbirth.
- Your baby swallowing mucus during childbirth can cause your baby to feel bloated, sick, or uncomfortable.
- An early negative experience with breastfeeding, such as being forced to do so.
‘Why is my baby no longer breastfeeding?’
Sometimes babies stop breastfeeding when they had previously been breastfeeding quite well. This is referred to as a ‘nursing strike.’
Something must have changed that makes it difficult for a baby to latch on.
- It could be that your baby is struggling to take in breast milk because there’s some pain in the mouth caused by an infection like thrush.=
- They’re teething
- Or they are simply more aware of their surroundings and easily distracted by noise.
- A change in the flavour of your milk caused by things like your menstrual cycle can also affect your baby’s breastfeeding
- Some babies may suffer from severe or persistent reflux, known as gastro-oesophageal reflux disorder (GORD), and thus may associate feeding with pain.
What to do if your baby refuses breast milk
Stay calm and avoid forcing breast milk on him or her. Instead, let your baby take the lead.
- Many mothers, especially those with newborn babies, say that skin-to-skin contact in a relaxed position relieves stress. It allows your baby to feed using their natural instincts.
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- Experiment with different feeding positions to see if you can make your baby feel more at ease. Some newborns prefer a relaxed breastfeeding (also known as biological nurturing) position if they are having difficulty getting a deep latch or if there is a strong letdown of milk.
- Feeding your infant while they are sleepy or asleep can be beneficial at times. Many mothers believe that ‘dream feeds’ can be quite successful for a baby who is uninterested when awake.
- Feed your baby while rocking or strolling about, singing or playing with them, or playing background music.
- Because some newborns are so fussy, you might want to try feeding them in a quiet room away from distractions.
- Lastly, see a nurse or a lactation specialist.
